Metadata: Vilnius General Сrafts’ Council
Collection
- Country:
- Lithuania
- Holding institution:
- Lithuanian State Historical Archives
- Holding institution (official language):
- Lietuvos valstybės istorijos archyvas
- Postal address:
- Mindaugo 8, 03107 Vilnius
- Phone number:
- +370 5 219 5320
- Email:
- istorijos.archyvas@lvia.lt
- Reference number:
- 939
- Title:
- Vilnius General Сrafts’ Council
- Title (official language):
- Vilniaus supaprastinta amatų valdyba
- Creator/accumulator:
- Vilnius General Сrafts’ Council
- Date(s):
- 1536/1915
- Language:
- German
- Latin
- Polish
- Russian
- Extent:
- 694 files
- Type of material:
- Textual material
- Physical condition:
- good
- Scope and content:
-
The collection of the Vilnius General Сrafts Council includes: complaints against the craftsmen and records of violations against the artisans; artisans' applications; minutes of the barbers guild; election results and political documents of officials in various guilds; court cases related to the artisans' activities; papers on craft guilds’ foundations and correspondence of the guilds; documents on registering new members into and withdrawal from the guilds; records of issue of certificates for artisans; lists of artisans; and more.
Many files in the collection contain Jewish-related records. Some of them indicate the position of Jewish craftsmen in various guilds. A file from 1881 includes materials on the election of Jews into various positions in artisan guilds (inventory 2, file 79). A file from 1885 has records about the merging of Jewish guilds into Christian guilds (inventory 2, file 171). Some important parts of the collection are materials that show the relationship between Jewish artisans and their apprentices. A file from 1894 contains a complaint by apprentices Zalman and Nohum Glakh against S Margulis about a contractual violation regarding Nohum's studies to be a dyer (inventory 2, file 476). Also, there are documents from 1896 about a complaint from furniture workshop owner, Moshe Vilkomirski, against several Jewish workers for leaving the workplace without permission, amongst other offences (inventory 2. File 495). Some parts of the Jewish-related materials in the collection are complaints from residents against the craftsmen. Other files include complaints between the craftsmen themselves. One 1897 complaint is from the merchant L Eisenstadt against the artisan M. Kontorovich about damage Kontorovich caused (inventory 2, file 512). The materials also contain accusations from 1886 of a breach of agreement by the coachman Sher (inventory 2, file 245).
The collection further includes: violations of the artisans' charter by Jewish craftsmen; fines imposed on craftsmen; registration of Jews to different ranks in the guilds; and the exclusion of some craftsmen/artisans from the guilds. A file from 1887 contains a complaint against the Jewish board by K Epshtein, a watchmaker’s apprentice, about his exclusion from the guild book. (inventory 2, file 320). A file from 1896-97 contains records on a hat maker Ginde-Reize Gordon, a member of the women's hat makers’ guild in Vilnius (inventory 2, file 501).
- Archival history:
- No information
- Administrative/biographical history:
- The General Crafts Council was subordinate to a municipal council (the Duma) and a magistrate. The scope of its activities included: providing healthcare to craftsmen; protecting corporate interests; admission of membership into guilds; providing education for orphans and guild members’ children; inspecting and ensuring quality work in workshops; levying of taxes; supervision of member’s duties; settling minor disputes; managing members’ finances and the issue of passports to members. At the end of the 19th century, the General Craft’s Council lost its significance due to estate borders changing with urban growth.
- Access points: locations:
- Vilnius
- System of arrangement:
- The collection consists of two inventories which are arranged in chronological order.
- Finding aids:
- Detailed inventories are available for free online access on the website of the Lithuanian Chief Archivist Service.
- Links to finding aids:
- https://eais-pub.archyvai.lt/eais/faces/pages/forms/search/F3001.jspx
- Yerusha Network member:
- Central Archives for the History of the Jewish People
- Author of the description:
- Ilya Vovshin, Central Archives for the History of the Jewish People, 2019. Edited by Aaron Lasaine, Central Archives for the History of the Jewish People, 2019
